• Medicaid Service Coordination - 782-4977

Medicaid Service Coordination provides services for individuals who are developmentally disabled, eligible for Medicaid, and reside in locations other than intermediate care facilities, specialty hospitals or psychiatric centers. MSC services are designed to assist these people in accessing medical, social, educational and other services in the community necessary for their well being. The service coordination must be planned, proactive and comprehensive in nature.

• Short Term Respite - 782-5285

Disabled Persons provides a Drop-in-Center for short-term respite services for families of a developmentally disabled member. The respite program provides temporary relief when the family is confronted by an emergency, has formal business, needs time for leisure, or family support of activities such as shopping, doctor appointments or important meetings.

• Free Standing Respite (Overnight) - 782-3577
22952 Pamelia Avenue 782-1356
137 East Lynde Street 786-8852

The free standing respite program is for the developmentally disabled person of any age. An individual may stay for as little as an hour, overnight, for the weekend, a week, etc. Each stay may not be more than 30 consecutive days, and may not be utilized more than 42 days per year. The house is staffed by experienced people who try to make the individual's stay as much fun, as relaxing and as much like home as possible. Guest are accepted by appointment only.

• Home & Community Based Waiver Services - 782-4977

Residential Habilitation
Residential Habilitation is usually provided in the home of a person and may be provided at any time of day. Some examples of goald the individuals may wish to work on are: cooking, dressing themselves, toilet training, cleaning house, budgeting, appropriate social behavior, personal hygiene skills and planning menus.

Day Habilitation
Day Habilitation takes place 51% of time outside the home of an individual and  may be provided at any time of day. Some examples of the goals the individuals may wish to work on are: using public transportation, safety skills within the community, shopping skills, utilizing community resources such as the library, appropriate public behavior and how to order from a menu.

• Respite - 782-4977

Respite is an indirect service that provides relief to individuals who are resonsible for the primary care and support of consumers. When a family member has to deal with such things as an illness, emergency, vacation, or just the daily stress of taking care of a family member with a disability, respite services are intended to ensure that the consumers' basic needs are fulfilled.

• Summer Recreation Program - 782-3577

DPAO sponsors a Summer Recreation program for five weeks each summer for youngsters with special needs. The program serves children who reside in Jefferson County, who, because of special needs (developmental, mental, physical, or socioemotional) have been reluctant or unable to successfully participate in the recreational programs currently offered. The program offers the children activities such as arts and crafts, group games and field trips. The program is coordinated and supervised by a trained special educator, staffed with young adults who are hired under the auspices of Disabled Persons, JTPA, and supported by many volunteers.

• Family Reimbursement/Voucher Program - 782-4977

DPAO offers families the opportunity to hire and individual to take care of their developmentally disabled individual in the home. Families with developmentally disabled individuals with sever medical difficulties or who are difficult to care for, participate in this program. The parent hires a respite provider and submits a voucher. DPAO pays for the services rendered by the respite provider.

• Community Integration Program - 782-5285

The Recreation/Socialization program provides an opportunity for developmentally disables individuals to experience what most people take for granted, learning how to have fun and create leisure time activities. This program serves developmentally disabled individuals who live in the community residences, family care settings and at home with their families. The program allows the participant to experience learning new socialization and recreational skills and to make new friends. In addition to the participants having fun, they have the opportunity to learn what recreational resources there are available in the community.

• Recreational Program for Individuals with Down Syndrome - 782-3577

This program offers recreational activities to individuals with Down Syndrome. The activities are fun and friendly, utilize community based settings as well as allowing the caregivers to play a vital role in the services.

• Emergency Services and Unmet Needs - 782-3577

The programs assists individuals on a reviewed request basis only, when services are not currently available in existing programs funded by local, county, state and federal agencies. Such requests include seeking assistance in obtaining transportation, medications, medical equipment and emergency medical needs.

• Information Referral/Client Advocacy Services - 782-4977

The main goal of this service is to assist families of a developmentally disabled member in becoming their own advocates, and providing the with needed information/referral services that are available to them as well as being assessed and assisted in meeting their needs. DPAO, through its involvement with major providers in Jefferson County, has established an advisory liaison with individuals who represent various state and local provider services. It is a goal that family member participation in this program will foster a positive attitude about how they can successfully meet the needs of their disabled family member, while at the same time, meet their own needs.

• Parent Support Group - 782-5285

The parent support group is designed for the family that is seeking to provide the most effective help for the disabled child residing in a family unit. The group of parents/caregivers meets bimonthly, accompanied by a facilitator skilled in group dynamics, to discuss the problems which they mutually confront.

• Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder Support Group - 782-4977

The program provides information on support in the community as well as guest speakers that highlight the area of medical and service related issues. Individuals with epilepsy and seizure disorders, family members, parents and caregivers participate in the support group.

• Diaper Co-op - 782-5285

DPAO assists developmentally disabled individuals who are incontinent. The agency provides subsidized, high-quality incontinent products to parents and other caregivers. Incontinent supplies are purchased from manufacturers at the lowest possible price and offered on a sliding fee based on income.

• Recreation Program for Children with Autism - 782-5285

The purpose of this program is to offer an integrated recreation program for hard-to-serve children with autism and other disabilities in Jefferson County. The program strives to provide individuals with autism the necessary skills to function in a community-based recreational setting. These children are often not given the opportunity for meaningful recreational opportunities because of the level of their disability and the one-on-one attention that is required in many situations. It is a collaborative, person-centered planning approach involving a number of agencies and an array of private commercial businesses to provide an individualized menu of recreational and socialization activities chosen by the consumers and their families.

• Autism Socialization Group - 782-3577

The autism socialization program offers an opportunity for a loving and supportive environment for children with autism to learn and play, talk and interact appropriately with peers.

• Parent Support Group for Children with Autism - 782-3577

The focus is on issues most families deal with such as behavior, special education, socialization skills and, most importantly, meeting other families who deal with the same problems. The group meets every other first Thursday of the month.

Lewis County

• Family Support and Recreation - 376-8327, 348-8380

This program serves children and adults who are developmentally disabled who reside with their families. The respite program provides short term relief to the family, easing the stresses of caring for a disabled family member while allowing the individual to benefit from recreational and leisure time activities with their peers.

• Home Care/Family Reimbursement - 800-533-2859

In cooperation with the Central New York Developmental Disabilities Services Office, DPAO offers families the opportunity to hire an individual to care for their developmentally disabled family member in the home. DPAO reimburses the cost of services rendered to the family.